Southside
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Los Angeles Times gang reporter Michael Lyons has just left his favorite downtown saloon when he is shot and wounded on the sidewalk two blocks from City Hall. After the initial shock, fellow reporters put together a betting pool. The bet? “Who Shot Mike?” There are a lot of contenders.
When the LAPD’s investigation stalls, the Times runs editorials critical of the police. Then, when detectives uncover an audio tape of Lyons talking to a gang member about the benefits of getting shot, they release the tape. The embarrassed newspaper editor fires Lyons, who then sets out on the streets of Southside Los Angeles with a vengeance to find the shooter.
When three seemingly unrelated people are murdered on the streets of L.A., Lyons connects them to his own shooting. The tie-in? An imprisoned, notorious gang shot-caller known as Big Evil, who Lyons made famous in a gang profile and whose younger brother is among the victims.
But who is doing the killing?
Praise
"In a place as well traveled by storytellers as Los Angeles, Michael Krikorian blazes a unique path with this powerful first novel. Southside has muscle, insight, and all the right stuff. Krikorian is an exciting new writer who has put all his experience and wisdom to work here." ―Michael Connelly, New York Times best-selling author
"Streetwise, gritty, and authentic . . . Krikorian takes you on a ride you won't soon forget." ―Lee Child, New York Times best-selling author
“The debut novel from Krikorian, a Los Angeles Times crime reporter, is a grim thriller that brings a sense of bleak reality to the streets of Los Angeles. Krikorian’s language is stark, graphic, and bitterly humorous, not unlike that of George Pelecanos . . . it moves with speed and purpose.” ―Publishers Weekly
“Former Los Angeles Times reporter Krikorian takes his readers on a quick and dirty ride through some of the most dangerous territory in L.A. in this fast-moving debut crime story of revenge and murder. The author knows his territory and isn't afraid to highlight the terrifying reality of gang life as well as the very human stories at its core, without ever resorting to cliché. His sparse style will appeal to readers who like their crime fiction no-nonsense and full of realistic grit.” ―Library Journal
"In a sea of crime novels, it's refreshing to find one by someone who clearly knows his territory, and Michael Krikorian is certainly that kind of writer. This story of L.A.'s gang world is gritty and real and utterly compelling. If you like the cut-to-the-bone sense of place that permeates the novels of James Ellroy, George Pelecanos, and Richard Price, then Krikorian's Southside should be high on your reading list." ―Michael Koryta, Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner and author of The Prophet